Ursula von der Leyen to seek second term as head of European Commission

Ursula von der Leyen will need backing from two other parties and then face an internal EPP vote in March. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA

Ursula von der Leyen has announced she will seek a second term as president of the European Commission and head of the most powerful institution in Brussels.

Speaking at a meeting of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Berlin on Monday, von der Leyen, 65, confirmed her candidacy for a further five years in the job, the first step in a four-month battle for election that could involve a wider field.